Local national parks included in massive federal grant

WASHINGTON – The federal government is going to spend 356,000 dollars to study a better tour bus operation for the National Mall. But that’s just the start of the projects ahead for national parks.

The grant is part of 80 million dollars that is being allocated for transit operations at parks across the country.

There’s a grant for 1.5 million dollars to build a park and ride on the edge of the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia. The money will be spent to protect the beach that is visited by over a million people each year.

While another 450,000 dollars is being allocated to resurface a bike trail at the Assateague Island National Seashore — the one with the famous wild horses.

A fourth grant for 100,000 dollars will be used to replace an electric tram at the Patuxent Research Center in Maryland.